Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Greg Abbott

Discover the career path of Greg Abbott, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Greg Abbott is an American politician currently serving as the 48th Governor of Texas since 2015. A Republican, he previously served as the Texas Attorney General from 2002 to 2015. Prior to that, he was a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court from 1996 to 2001. He is currently the longest-serving incumbent governor in the United States.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1984: Joined Butler and Binion, LLP

In 1984, Abbott began working in private practice for Butler and Binion, LLP.

1992: Left Butler and Binion, LLP

In 1992, Abbott concluded his work in private practice for Butler and Binion, LLP.

1995: Appointed Justice of the Texas Supreme Court

In 1995, Abbott was appointed as a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court by then-Governor George W. Bush.

1996: Elected to Texas Supreme Court

In 1996, Abbott was elected to the Texas Supreme Court for a two-year term, defeating Libertarian John B. Hawley.

1996: Became Justice of the Texas Supreme Court

In 1996, Greg Abbott became a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, serving until 2001.

1998: Re-elected to Texas Supreme Court

In 1998, Abbott was re-elected to the Texas Supreme Court for a six-year term, defeating Democrat David Van Os.

1998: Won a full term in the Texas Supreme Court

In 1998, Abbott won a full term as a Justice in the Texas Supreme Court with 60% of the vote.

1998: David Van Os Challenged Abbott

In 1998, David Van Os was Abbott's Democratic opponent in the election for state Supreme Court.

2001: Resigned from Texas Supreme Court

In 2001, Abbott resigned from the Texas Supreme Court initially to run for lieutenant governor, then switched to campaign for attorney general.

2001: End of term as Justice of the Texas Supreme Court

In 2001, Greg Abbott's tenure as a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court came to an end.

2001: Returned to private practice

In 2001, after resigning from the Supreme Court, Abbott returned to private practice and worked for Bracewell & Giuliani LLC, and he was also an adjunct professor at University of Texas School of Law.

December 2, 2002: Sworn in as Attorney General of Texas

On December 2, 2002, Abbott was sworn in as the Attorney General of Texas, succeeding John Cornyn.

2002: Elected Attorney General of Texas

In 2002, Abbott was elected as the Attorney General of Texas with 57% of the vote.

2003: Supported Cap on Medical Malpractice Damages

In 2003, Abbott supported the Texas Legislature's decision to cap non-economic damages for medical malpractice cases at $250,000, without adjustments for the rising cost of living.

March 2005: Argued for Ten Commandments Monument before Supreme Court

In March 2005, Abbott argued before the U.S. Supreme Court defending the Ten Commandments monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds, asserting its historical significance. The Supreme Court ruled the display constitutional.

December 21, 2005: Added New Allegations to Lawsuit Against Sony-BMG

On December 21, 2005, Abbott added new allegations to his lawsuit against Sony-BMG, asserting that the MediaMax copy protection technology violated Texas's spyware and deceptive trade practices laws due to secretly installing spyware on computers, posing security risks and deceiving purchasers.

2005: Advocated for Ten Commandments display in Van Orden v. Perry

In 2005, as Attorney General, Abbott successfully advocated for the display of the Ten Commandments at the Texas State Capitol in the U.S. Supreme Court case Van Orden v. Perry.

November 7, 2006: Re-elected Attorney General of Texas

On November 7, 2006, Abbott was re-elected as Attorney General of Texas for a second term, defeating civil rights attorney David Van Os with 60% of the vote.

2006: Re-elected Attorney General of Texas

In 2006, Abbott was re-elected as the Attorney General of Texas with 60% of the vote.

2010: Elected to Third Term as Attorney General

In 2010, Abbott was elected to his third term as Attorney General, defeating Barbara Ann Radnofsky with 64% of the vote, making him the longest-serving Texas attorney general.

2010: Re-elected Attorney General of Texas for a Third Term

In 2010, Abbott was re-elected as the Attorney General of Texas for a third term with 64% of the vote, becoming the longest-serving attorney general in state history.

2011: Raised Substantial Campaign Funds

In the first six months of 2011, Abbott raised $1.6 million for his campaign, surpassing all previous Texas politicians at the time.

July 2013: Announced Candidacy for Governor

In July 2013, Abbott announced his candidacy for governor of Texas in the 2014 election after Governor Rick Perry announced he would not seek a fourth term.

March 4, 2014: Won Republican Primary for Governor

On March 4, 2014, Abbott won the Republican primary for governor of Texas with 91.5% of the vote and then faced Wendy Davis in the general election.

2014: Elected Governor of Texas

In 2014, Abbott was elected as the Governor of Texas, becoming the first Texas governor to use a wheelchair.

January 20, 2015: Abbott Sworn in as Governor of Texas

On January 20, 2015, Greg Abbott was sworn in as the governor of Texas, succeeding Rick Perry. He became the first governor of Texas to use a wheelchair.

March 15, 2015: Abbott meets with Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny

On March 15, 2015, Governor Abbott held his first meeting with a foreign prime minister when he met with the Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny to discuss trade and economic relations.

June 2015: Abbott Signs Border Security Bill

In June 2015, Abbott signed a bill to enhance Texas's border security by hiring more state police, expanding technology use, and forming intelligence units.

2015: Became Governor of Texas

In 2015, Greg Abbott became the 48th governor of Texas, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2015: Abbott Signs Campus Carry and Open Carry Bills into Law

In 2015, Greg Abbott signed both the campus carry (SB 11) and open carry (HB 910) bills into law.

2015: Abbott Signs Pastor Protection Act

In 2015, Greg Abbott signed the Pastor Protection Act, allowing clergy to refuse to marry same-sex couples based on their beliefs.

January 8, 2016: Abbott Calls for a National Constitutional Convention

On January 8, 2016, Greg Abbott called for a national constitutional convention to address abuses by justices of the United States Supreme Court.

May 17, 2016: Abbott Elaborates on Constitutional Convention Proposal

On May 17, 2016, Abbott elaborated on his proposal for a constitutional convention in a public seminar at the Hoover Institute.

December 2016: Campaign Funds

As of December 2016, Abbott had $34.4 million on hand for his campaign, including $9 million raised during the second half of 2016 for his 2018 reelection bid.

2016: Publication of Broken But Unbowed

In 2016, Abbott's book "Broken But Unbowed" was published, recounting his personal story and political views.

Broken But Unbowed: The Fight to Fix a Broken America

Check it on Amazon

2016: Abbott Calls for a Convention of States

In 2016, Governor Abbott spoke to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, advocating for a Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution. He proposed the Texas Plan, a series of new amendments aimed at limiting federal power and expanding states' rights.

January 2017: Fundraising for Reelection

In January 2017, it was reported that Abbott was raising funds for a 2018 reelection bid as governor.

January 21, 2017: Expressed Intention to Run for Reelection

During the weekend of January 21, 2017, Abbott said he intended to run for reelection as governor of Texas.

March 28, 2017: Confirmed Reelection Bid

On March 28, 2017, Abbott confirmed his intention to run for reelection as governor.

May 2017: Texas Senate Bill 4 Signed Into Law

In May 2017, Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 4 into law, which targeted sanctuary cities by penalizing officials who don't cooperate with federal authorities and allowing police to question the immigration status of detainees.

June 6, 2017: Abbott Calls for Special Legislative Session

On June 6, 2017, Governor Abbott called for a special legislative session to pass his legislative priorities.

July 14, 2017: Abbott Formally Announces Reelection Campaign

On July 14, 2017, Greg Abbott formally announced his reelection campaign for governor of Texas.

2017: Abbott Signs Bill Preventing Subpoena of Pastors' Sermons

In 2017, Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 24, preventing state and local governments from subpoenaing pastors' sermons, inspired by a Houston anti-discrimination ordinance.

2017: Abbott Signs Bill Lowering Handgun Carry License Fees

In 2017, Abbott signed into law a bill that lowered the fees for handgun carry licenses in Texas.

2018: Reelection Bid

In 2018, Abbott sought reelection for governor of Texas.

2018: Abbott Consults on Preventing Gun Violence After Santa Fe Shooting

In 2018, after the Santa Fe High School shooting, Abbott consulted across Texas to prevent gun violence in schools.

June 2019: Abbott Signs Bill Allowing More Armed Teachers

In June 2019, Greg Abbott signed a bill allowing for more armed teachers in Texas schools, with school districts unrestricted as to the number they allow, while also creating "threat assessment teams".

2020: Abbott Supports Police During George Floyd Protests

In 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests, Greg Abbott called on candidates to "back the blue" and threatened state control of local police departments in response to funding redirection.

February 2021: Response to the Power Crisis After the February 2021 Winter Storm

In February 2021, following a winter storm that caused a power crisis in Texas, Abbott called for reforms to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and signed a bill mandating power plant weatherization.

May 18, 2021: Abbott Signs Texas Heartbeat Act into Law

On May 18, 2021, Greg Abbott signed the Texas Heartbeat Act, a six-week abortion ban, into law.

June 2021: Abbott Signs Permitless Carry Bill

In June 2021, Greg Abbott signed into law a permitless carry bill allowing Texans to carry handguns without a license or training.

September 2021: Legislation Signed for Border Security Spending

In September 2021, Abbott signed legislation allocating nearly $2 billion for Texas's border security, including $750 million for border wall construction.

2021: Abbott Signs Bill Allowing Texans to Carry Guns Without a License

In 2021, Greg Abbott signed into law a bill that allowed Texans to carry guns without a license.

2021: Trump Endorses Abbott for Reelection

In 2021, during Donald Trump's first presidency, Trump endorsed Greg Abbott for reelection as governor, choosing him over Republican primary rivals.

2022: Abbott Emphasizes "Culture War" Issues

By his 2022 reelection campaign, Greg Abbott more prominently emphasized "culture war" issues and was compared to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

January 2023: Advisers Claim Abbott Considers Fourth Term

In January 2023, advisers close to Abbott stated in an Austin American Statesman article that he had not ruled out running for a fourth term as governor in 2026.

December 2023: Signing of Border Security Bills

In December 2023, Abbott signed three border-security-related bills into law, including one that made illegal immigration a state crime.

2023: Abbott Promises to Work Swiftly for Pardon of Daniel Perry After Murder Conviction

In 2023, after Daniel Perry was convicted of murder, Abbott said he would work swiftly for a pardon.

March 1, 2024: Abbott Announces Candidacy for Reelection to Fourth Term

On March 1, 2024, Greg Abbott announced his candidacy for reelection to a fourth term as governor of Texas.

May 2024: Abbott Pardons Daniel Perry

In May 2024, Greg Abbott granted a full pardon to former Army Sergeant Daniel Perry, who was convicted of fatally shooting Air Force veteran Garrett Foster during a Black Lives Matter protest.